The Spellmans strike again by Lisa Lutz

Synopsis: At the ripe old age of thirty-two, former wild child Isabel “Izzy” Spellman has finally agreed to take over the family business. And the transition won’t be a smooth one. First among her priorities as head of Spellman Investigations is to dig up some dirt on the competition, slippery ex-cop Rick Harkey–a task she may enjoy a little too much. Next, faced with a baffling missing-persons case at the home of an aging millionaire, Izzy hires an actor friend, Len, to infiltrate the mansion as an undercover butler–a role he may enjoy a little much. Meanwhile, Izzy is being blackmailed by her mother (photographic evidence of Prom Night 1994) to commit to regular blind dates with promising professionals–an arrangement that doesn’t thrill Connor, an Irish bartender on the brink of becoming Ex-boyfriend #12.
At Spellman headquarters, it’s business as unusual. Doorknobs and light fixtures are disappearing every day, Mom’s been spotted crying in the pantry, and a series of increasingly demanding Spellman Rules (Rule #27: No Speaking Today) can’t quite hold the family together. Izzy also has to decipher weekly “phone calls from the edge” from her octogenarian lawyer, Morty, as well as Detective Henry Stone’s mysterious interest in rekindling their relationsh…well, whatever it was. Just when it looks like things can’t go more haywire, little sister Rae’s internship researching pro bono legal cases leads the youngest Spellman to launch a grassroots campaign that could spring an innocent man from jail–or land Rae in it. The Spellmans Strike Again is hands down the most hilarious, thrilling, and moving book in this bestselling, award-nominated series. And it proves beyond a reasonable doubt that Isabel Spellman, no matter how much she matures, will never be able to follow Rule #1: Act Normal.

Review: There are not a lot of chick-lit authors that I really love but I must say that Lisa Lutz is completely one of them, along with Janet Evanovich, although obviously their style is totally different. The Spellman series is completely crazy, I love the presentation, I love the characters and I love their ideas and humor. All the volumes retain the same freshness and it is a real pleasure to meet each of our protagonists every time.

Izzy realizes that her life is at a turning point and that certain choices are now available to her. Her life does not suit her and she does not know how to get out of all this. I must say that Morty is not there anymore, she doesn’t have a lot of work and her boyfriend is not really very attentive. But shift work does not help either so they could be together. But Izzy is determined to continue her many and varied adventures, such as proving the guilt of her enemy since she discovered what he did in the previous volume. But this survey is quite difficult and it’s now a feasible obsession. Maggie and David are a lot closer in this volume and it is quite funny to see that everyone is constantly encouraging them. I’m still surprised to see how she did not run away after seeing this mad and crazy family. It is still a mystery to me especially when we see the new Rae’s goal: Free a prisoner she knows innocent with the Maggie’s help. As for the parents of our heroine? They’re up to something secret that everyone is trying to discover throughout the book. But of course every secret is revealed in due time. I confess, however, that I had many questions in relation to what was happening and I did not expect the reason at the end of book.
Many things happen in this story, we can pass from joy to tears in no time. Since the last book, Izzy knowingly avoids Henry, something I totally understand. But our detective doesn’t hear it that way and gladly apply the tricks of the Spellman family to get what he wants too. A real pleasure! I loved their games, and I was very happy with the purpose of his cunning. However, I do not expect such an end … I must say that the atmosphere change is instantaneous and I even had tears in my eyes while watching a sad event. A nice end that makes us thinks.
Lisa Lutz knows how to play with the feelings of the characters and suddenly with ours. And of course, as the end of each novel, I can’t wait to find out more and to read more fun stories of the crazy Spellman family. A new very good volume for a series that I recommend to any fan of chick-lit.